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Model Forum / General / Railroads / May 2004Ebay Rant
Sometimes on this group someone points out an item on ebay going for silly money, but one thing that really bugs me off is being ripped off for postage. I've just bought a (rather nice) Bachhy HEA and I've no complaints with that, but I was charged £1.21 for P&P. The model was in it's original box and had an outer wrapper of corrugated cardboard made up into a home-made box. No extra foam chippings, no bubble-wrap - just the cardboard (oh - and a bit of parcel tape too!). The postage was 60p so that bit of cardboard (13"x9") cost me 61p - if my maths are correct, (forgetting the actual postage costs), that's almost an extra 15% on the cost of the model. Am I being unfair complaining about this? Their feedback depends on any replies :-) > I've just bought a (rather nice) Bachhy HEA and I've no complaints with > that, but I was charged £1.21 for P&P. The model was in it's original box [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > Am I being unfair complaining about this? Their feedback depends on any > replies :-) Argument #1: It took the vendor 10 minutes to pack it and 20 minutes to take it to the post office and come back, so they're charging you less than minimum wage for their time. A palpable bargain. Argument #2: 61p for a poxy bit of cardboard? You're getting fleeced, sirrah. >I agree with: Argument #1: It took the vendor 10 minutes to pack it and 20 minutes to > take it to the post office and come back, so they're charging you less > than minimum wage for their time. A palpable bargain. >. > Argument #1: It took the vendor 10 minutes to pack it and 20 minutes to > take it to the post office and come back, so they're charging you less > than minimum wage for their time. A palpable bargain. > > Argument #2: 61p for a poxy bit of cardboard? You're getting fleeced, > sirrah. LOL - and if the retail trade charged the time cost involved with mail order there would be no mail order. John. However, I just spent $10 at Office Depot for bubble wrap, peanuts and cardboard tubes to send out 3 items. > > Argument #1: It took the vendor 10 minutes to pack it and 20 minutes to > > take it to the post office and come back, so they're charging you less [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > > John. > However, I just spent $10 at Office Depot for bubble wrap, peanuts and > cardboard tubes to send out 3 items. Bubble wrap is cheap - a large 4'0" high roll (maybe 2'6" in girth) costs me around GBP15.00 - enough to do several hundred parcels. It's the time that's expensive - I reckon to pack a loco adequately takes 15 minutes, but in no way would I try to pass that cost on to my customers. John. At least he got some postage stamps on his parcel -which was more than I got on the last video tape I bought (not through the trade). Not such a bargain as I thought after I paid the excess postage. The seller assured me that she would reimburse me -but I'm still waiting! As always, the motto should be "semper caveat emptor" >> However, I just spent $10 at Office Depot for bubble wrap, peanuts and >> cardboard tubes to send out 3 items. [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > >John. 61p !?!?!?!? get a life and stop moaning about a poxy 61p, it isn't 1945 anymore. There's no pockets in a shroud! > Sometimes on this group someone points out an item on ebay going for silly > money, but one thing that really bugs me off is being ripped off for [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > Am I being unfair complaining about this? Their feedback depends on any > replies :-) I think we seem to be missing the point. You buy something from ebay you should: 1) Expect it to be wrapped to a standard that will protect the item. 2) You can see the postage costs before you bid. If you not happy with them dont bid. If you recieved the parcel and it was not wrapped in a safe enough manner and something was damaged then complain to the seller and ask what he/she would like to do about it. If it was in good nick when it arrived then what are you worrying about?? As for 61p for packing, Bargain is what I say. It costs me £1 park near my local postoffice. I also agree with Mr Turners points about not passing on mail order processing costs at the point of retail, but I dont think that shop mail order and private selling mail order can be compared as, generally in a shop you are working on margins which is where the profit comes from. I know there are people on ebay selling goods purchased at cost, but in general there are a lot of private sellers out there. With regards feedback, my suggestion would be to give positve feedback, but make a comment that packing could have been better. OK Think im done now. Jon > Sometimes on this group someone points out an item on ebay going for silly > money, but one thing that really bugs me off is being ripped off for [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > Am I being unfair complaining about this? Their feedback depends on any > replies :-) > I know there are people on ebay selling goods purchased at cost, but in general there are a lot of private sellers out there. Yes and I know there are (supposedly private) sellers on eBay who are buying goods expressly to resell at a profit, and a very handsome profit (far in excess of what any regular retailer could hope to make) and still wanting to screw the buyer for post & packing costs. John. >I think we seem to be missing the point. > >You buy something from ebay you should: >1) Expect it to be wrapped to a standard that will protect the item. >2) You can see the postage costs before you bid. If you not happy with them >dont bid. I know this is not the same thing, but iIf you want to read about how an ebay scammer got scammed himself, look at http://www.theregister.com/2004/05/24/ebay_scammer_scammed/  SignatureJohn Sullivan OO in the garden http://www.yddraiggoch.demon.co.uk/railway/railway.html My next project: Extend the layout back up the other side of the garden. Amusing > >I think we seem to be missing the point. > > [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > ebay scammer got scammed himself, look at > http://www.theregister.com/2004/05/24/ebay_scammer_scammed/ >> I think we seem to be missing the point. >> [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > an ebay scammer got scammed himself, look at > http://www.theregister.com/2004/05/24/ebay_scammer_scammed/ Like it! SignatureIf Your specification is vague or imprecise, you'll likely get what you asked for not what you want Thanks for all the input guys, some of it has been most amusing. Just for the record, the item was packed ok and was not damaged in any way. However, after a brief email to the seller, I have been offered a couple of stamps in recompense, and with that I'm happy. As a foot note, when I've recently sold some locos on ebay I charged a flat £2 for p and p - in all cases the postage alone was more than that. I was quite happy to pay for the bubble wrap etc. etc. because as much as I don't like to be ripped off, I don't like ripping off others either. Thanks again, Dave. > Thanks for all the input guys, some of it has been most amusing. > [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > as much as I don't like to be ripped off, I don't like ripping off > others either. I'm sure not all eBayers are so altruistic. SignatureMartin S. Postage on Locos on ebay should typically be around £4.50. Thats well packed and Specially Delivered. Not too much to ask eh for a minature masterpeice. Some buggers charge £10 and thats just daft! it's a common fiddle... I ALWAYS check the postage before I bid... £4.50 for a well-packed, recorded delivery item is OK. I had a long train journey to do a while back and found a suitable ticket (1st as well!) going for a song... £50 postage! I refuse to buy anything under those circumstances out of principal, same as the £10 for a loco you mention above > Postage on Locos on ebay should typically be around £4.50. Thats well packed > and Specially Delivered. Not too much to ask eh for a minature masterpeice. > Some buggers charge £10 and thats just daft! £50 were they going to get the train to hand delivery it? > it's a common fiddle... I ALWAYS check the postage before I bid... £4.50 for > a well-packed, recorded delivery item is OK. [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > masterpeice. > > Some buggers charge £10 and thats just daft! > £50 were they going to get the train to hand delivery it? > > it's a common fiddle... I ALWAYS check the postage before I bid... £4.50 [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > masterpeice. > > > Some buggers charge £10 and thats just daft! I've always taken Ebay sellers on the principle that the more exhorbitant the postage costs, the more dodgy the seller. But I dont understand John Turners moan about people on Ebay selling things for higher prices than retailers could dream of. It is only an auction. No one is forcing anyone to buy. So, why not sell items on Ebay yourself? After all, Rails of Sheffield seem to be doing quite well. > But I dont understand John Turners moan about people on Ebay selling > things for higher prices than retailers could dream of. It is only an > auction. No one is forcing anyone to buy. So, why not sell items on > Ebay yourself? After all, Rails of Sheffield seem to be doing quite > well. I wasn't moaning, just responding to someone who claimed that many private people were selling at cost, when the reality is often quite different. I don't use eBay, I don't see the point of having a model shop and not giving my regular customers the option of buying used items at a fair price, governed only by the price I have to pay for an item. Sure I could possibly make more money by selling stuff on eBay, but if I did that I might as well shut the shop. John. Looks like I should change my name. too many jons. Jon H (from now on) > > But I dont understand John Turners moan about people on Ebay selling > > things for higher prices than retailers could dream of. It is only an [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > > John. > > But I dont understand John Turners moan about people on Ebay selling > > things for higher prices than retailers could dream of. It is only an [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > > John. No. This is the paragraph I meant. "Yes and I know there are (supposedly private) sellers on eBay who are buying goods expressly to resell at a profit, and a very handsome profit (far in excess of what any regular retailer could hope to make) and still wanting to screw the buyer for post & packing costs." I still dont see how people can buy to resell at a very handsome profit unless they know there are buyers out there willing to pay that amount in a bidding war, but wont pay that price in a shop. If that is the case then you cant complain really, because if the eBay sellers have targeted people who are that stupid, and charge (say) £2.50 per wagon postage, then they have been pretty smart. I sold some railway videos a year or two ago, and was amazed that a couple went for a higher price than they could have been bought brand new at a few well known mail order outlets, but I had no control over the price and surely that is the gamble of auctions. If you get 2 or 3 people who want the same item, then the price will rocket, but if a shop sells an item that 2 or 3 people want it is just first come, first served, the price is fixed and the other 2 people do not even get a chance. > I still dont see how people can buy to resell at a very handsome > profit unless they know there are buyers out there willing to pay that > amount in a bidding war, but wont pay that price in a shop. If that is > the case then you cant complain really, because if the eBay sellers > have targeted people who are that stupid, and charge (say) £2.50 per > wagon postage, then they have been pretty smart. Again I'm not complaining, just making a comment. The difference is that if I were to price items in the shop at the sort of level some items achieve on eBay I'd be classed as a rip-off merchant. John. > Sometimes on this group someone points out an item on ebay going for silly > money, but one thing that really bugs me off is being ripped off for [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > Am I being unfair complaining about this? Their feedback depends on any > replies :-) I have recently sold some Lima O gauge Mk1 coaches and I'm preparing to post them on. I intend to wrap them a couple of times with bubble wrap and then put an outer layer of brown parcel wrapping. Being only a coach and fairly light I think this should suffice. I'm charging £4 for the postage, given the size and I looked at a number of other similar items being sold and picked the average price for postage! James I tend to charge flat rates for postage based on roughly what I know to be the correct cost (from experience). I do this because it's quicker for both seller and buyer; sometimes I gain a bit, sometimes I lose a bit but I do try to be fair. Ripping people off just results in bad feedback, so pretty daft really! Cheers, Ian > I have recently sold some Lima O gauge Mk1 coaches and I'm preparing to post > them on. I intend to wrap them a couple of times with bubble wrap and then [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > > James >I tend to charge flat rates for postage based on roughly what I know to >be the correct cost (from experience). I do this because it's quicker [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > >Cheers, Ian I don't see why people don't just weigh the item, get the equivalent cost of the Post Office website, and add a few pence for wrapping. Works for me, have had no complaints about postage charges. mjh SignatureMike Honeyman That's what I did, packed the goods and got it weighed then asked the buyer if they were happy with the charge. 1 asked if he could supply the packing and postage and sent me a jiffy bag with stamps on. Problem sorted > I don't see why people don't just weigh the item, get the equivalent > cost of the Post Office website, and add a few pence for wrapping. > Works for me, have had no complaints about postage charges. > > mjh |
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